11 Free Writing Contests, With Cash Prizes (Up to $5,000)

Deadlines are approaching very quickly for these eleven free writing contests.

All of these contests are open to direct submissions, but have restrictions on who can apply.

I have organized the list by geographic restrictions, starting with contests open to writers from around the world.

–– Jacob Jans

PS: Thanks to S. Kalekar for compiling this list of contests.

Contests Open to Writers from Around the World

Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award
They want a short story, of up to 8,000 words, that shows the near future (no more than about 50-60 years out) of manned space exploration. They want to see Moon bases, Mars colonies, orbital habitats, space elevators, asteroid mining, artificial intelligence, nano-technology, realistic spacecraft, heroics, sacrifice, adventure. They don’t want stories that show technology or space travel as evil or bad, galactic empires, paranormal elements, UFO abductions, zombie stories, thinly veiled copies of previous winners, non-standalone novel excerpts, screenplays.
Value: 8c/word, and various non-cash awards
Deadline: 1 February 2020
Open for: All writers
Details here.

University of Southampton: Green Stories Writing Competitions – interactive fiction
They have writing contests with deadlines throughout the year, in various formats, including screenplay and flash fiction, that in some way touch upon ideas around building a sustainable society. They will consider all genres – rom-com, literary fiction, science fiction, mystery, crime etc. – but stories must engage with the idea of environmentally sustainable practices and/or sustainable societies. They will consider all stories, but they encourage writers to imagine a more positive settings and practices for their stories, rather than dystopian. Till early February, they are reading interactive fiction, from both individuals and teams. Their guidelines say, “We’re looking for interactive fiction entries, from both individuals and creative teams, consisting of a complete story or demo of a longer piece.
Your entry should be no longer than 30 minutes worth of gameplay in total. It may be the whole piece, the opening section, or a subsequent chapter or scene.” Entries must be freely accessible for the judges to play. They have some links to online resources for those new to interactive fiction. Apart from cash prizes, Talespinners is offering narrative feedback for 1st place, best student, and the under 18 winner. This feedback will take the form of editorial notes on their entry and a one hour feedback session via Skype, etc.
Value: £500, £100, £50, plus £50 for best student submission (18-25 years) and £50 for best < 18 year submission. (If a student or under 18 entry is the best overall then it will win first prize regardless if the entry is from a student and the student prize will go to the next best student entry); potential literary representation
Deadline: 3 February 2020
Open for: All writers
Details here.

Tales from the Moonlit Path: Bloody Valentine’s Challenge
Tales from the Moonlit Path is a horror, dark fiction, and speculative fiction magazine. For their Bloody Valentine’s Challenge, they want fiction of up to 2,000 words on the theme of love gone wrong. Read the guidelines carefully – entry into the challenge signifies consent for publishing, whether or not the entry wins. They also accept work for their regular issues.
Value: $50
Deadline: 1 February 2020
Open for: All writers
Details here.

New America National Fellows Program
This program brings on thinkers—journalists, scholars, filmmakers, and public policy analysts—whose work enhances the public conversation about the most pressing issues of our day. Fellows advance ideas through research, reporting, analysis, and storytelling. The organizers look for projects that are original and ambitious, with viable plans for their implementation. Their goal is to find bold, impactful thinkers and to fund them for a year; long enough to make progress on a book, develop a series of articles, produce a documentary, or work on another project that is accessible. Fellows have to attend three cohort gatherings throughout the fellowship year. There are no residency or nationality requirements, though fellows need to be involved in the New America community. That may involve traveling to their various offices for events as a speaker or moderator, attending or calling into their Fellows Program sessions, and, otherwise, being engaged in conversations they are having at New America.
Value: Generally $15,000-30,000
Deadline: 2 February 2020
Open for: All journalists, scholars, filmmakers and public policy analysts
Details here.

Contests for USA Residents

Roth Residence in Creative Writing
This residency is offered by Bucknell University, and provides writing time of up to four months. It is open for writers of fiction or creative non-fiction working on a first or second book. There are two residencies, in fall and spring semesters. Some record of publication is desirable.
Value: $5,000 and residency
Deadline: 1 February 2020
Open for: US writers
Details here.

Fund for Investigative Journalism Grants
This is for articles by US journalists that break new ground and expose wrongdoing – such as corruption, malfeasance, or abuse of power – in the public and private sectors. FIJ encourages proposals written for ethnic media as well as those submitted by journalists of color. Also see guidelines for foreign story proposals and book proposals, for these grants.
Value: Up to $10,000
Deadline: 3 February 2020
Open for: US journalists and writers
Details here.

National High School Poetry Contest at Gannon University
This is a poetry contest for US high school students and can be on any topic and in any form. Students may enter up to two poems.
Value: $100, $75, $50
Deadline: 1 February 2020
Open for: US high school students in grades 9 through 12
Details here.

Zócalo Public Square Poetry Prize
They want poetry from US poets “whose poem best evokes a connection to place. “Place” may be interpreted as a place of historical, cultural, political, or personal importance; it may be a literal, imaginary, or metaphorical landscape”, according to their guidelines.
Value: $500
Deadline: 3 February 2020
Open for: US poets
Details here.

The Waterman Fund Essay Contest
2020 marks the 20th anniversary of the Waterman Fund. To celebrate this milestone, the Fund has created a reflective essay prompt focused on changes in the wild – essays should be 2,000 to 3,000 words. See guidelines for extensive details on the theme. The contest is open for emerging US and Canadian writers.
Value: Total of $2,000, to be split between winners
Deadline: 2 February 2020
Open for: US and Canadian writers
Details here and here.

Contests for UK (And/Or Irish) Writers

The Papatango New Writing Prize
This is for residents of the UK and Ireland. Send an original play script which has a minimum running time 60 minutes, or a script of at least 40 pages, or at least 9,000 words. They give feedback to all entrants.
Value: Play development, publication, 8% gross royalties from box office income, £6,500 commission for a new play
Deadline: 2 February 2020
Open for: UK and Ireland writers
Details here and here.

Spread the Word Life Writing Prize
This is for emerging UK writers who have not published a full-length work (though those with previously self-published work can enter), and who are unagented. The writing should be ‘true to life’, which reflects someone’s own life journey or experiences and is not fiction – the writing should be up to 5,000 words. Graphic novel style entries are welcome. The writing doesn’t have to be entirely prose, it can contain poetry. Entries by the top 12 writers will be published in a booklet.
Value: £1,500, £500 each for two shortlisted writers, £50 for other writers published in the booklet, and other prizes
Deadline: 3 February 2020
Open for: UK writers
Details here.

One Contest for Canadian Writers

Note, this is also open to Americans.

S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She is the author of 182 Short Fiction Publishers. She can be reached here.

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